Thickness planer & LDPE? Workable or mistake in the making?

Question

I need to know if thick LDPE can be successfully run through a thickness planer. (I don't own one (yet), so I can't simply do a test run.)

Yes, this is an NG for WOOD, but there have been some great posts here about cutting plastic by people with substantial experience using wood power tools, so please excuse this post...

I have to cut 2" strips out of sheets of 1.75" LDPE. (The distributor cuts the sheets down to about 19x48" so I can handle the weight and size in my shop.) At that nominal thickness LDPE, the variations are substantial - from 1.8" to 1.9". I need 1.75" w/ tolerance of about .02" - so I have to then cut each strip again to get a uniform thickness. Cutting on the TS has worked OK, but it leaves some saw marks. And, even with an elaborate jig of rollers it is hard to keep each strip tight to the fence.

I use a WWII thin kerf blade with a 4" stiffener, which in my experience is better than any "no-melt" blades".

Question: Would a thickness planer work on this LDPE or would I create one big gooey mess? And, do you think it would feed OK? Compounding my confusion - I have never before used a planer. TIA. -- Igor

Morris Dovey · Accepted Answer

I haven't worked with LDPE; but my experience with other PE flavors makes me thick that:

The thickness planer whould work about as well as the saw, provided that you make a sled to insure feeding properly.

You will probably have some snipe at the ends; and probably a slight rippling from the knife cuts.

Tom · Answer

Planer worked fine on my wife's cutting board, the white plastic kind. A bitmessy with all the strands, but not unreasonably so. I"m not sure what kind ofPE it is, though. TomWork at your leisure!

Bob K 207 · Answer

I have used my portable planer on delrin, teflon & UHMWPE successfully.

The blades on my planer are not in the best of shape & left slight wavy lines in the surface in the feed direction.

IMO new / sharp blades should to the trick.

You'll be amazed at the volume of "chips" you'll generate.

Andy Dingley · Answer

Not IMHE.  MDPE works much better.LDPE is too "stringy" and has too much of a problem with meltingaround the cut, giving a lousy finish. It may work for you (try itanyway), but if it doesn't, try a polymer with a higher weight.

Thickness planer & LDPE? Workable or mistake in the making?

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